The thousandth performance of Stones in Your Pocket in December – the record-breaking perennial favourite will continue in the repertoire until the end of 2026
Helsinki City Theatre’s play Stones in Your Pocket will have its 1,000th performance on 17 December. The favourite performance has broken Finnish records both in terms of performances and as the longest-running full-length play in the repertoire. The performance, which premiered 23 years ago and has become a phenomenon, will continue in the programme for only the autumn season of 2026.Stones in the Pocket, starring Martti Suosalo and Mika Nuojua, had its Finnish premiere on 24 October 2002 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio Pasila. The performance, written by Irish Marie Jones and directed by Pentti Kotkaniemi, has attracted 364,000 viewers. Many of the viewers have seen the performance, which has become a phenomenon, several times. In December, it will be the turn of the thousandth performance. Now, the last performance date for the long-time favourite has also been set for November 2026.
This is how the actor duo opens up about their feelings about decades of success:
“In 23 years, children have been born, knees and shoulders have been operated, and Finland has been criss-crossed many times. In Helsinki, we have usually performed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and we call these evenings professional evenings. The 1000th performance is a performance like any other, we will win every match. I am grateful for the support of the audience. Everything has its time, and now it’s time to slowly stop presenting this performance in HKT,” says Martti Suosalo.
“I agree with the previous one. It’s been fun, but success hasn’t come as a matter of course. It has been especially great to notice how important the play Stones in the Pocket is to so many people. It has given me hope, faith and joy. Great feedback has come from different sides. It has also been an honour to get to know the skilled, professional theatre people from all over Finland, especially the wonderful people at the Helsinki City Theatre. Thank you to everyone,” Mika Nuojua adds.
Read more in the press release.